In powered equipment design, it is common for structural members constructed of metal or other hard materials to have holes made therein to allow for passage of cables, electrical wires, cords, or other relatively soft and/or vulnerable material there through. Such holes may have sharp edges, however, which can cause the vulnerable elements passing through the hole to become abraded or cut, or electrical insulation may break due to repeated flexing at the exit point. To address this issue, rubber, plastic, or plastic-coated metal grommets are commonly used to shield the vulnerable elements from such damage.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, rubber grommets 10 are commonly used in openings O formed in a machine deck MD (e.g., a lawnmower deck) to provide a smooth transition for a cable C passing through machine deck MD. As shown in FIG. 1B, grommet 10 can be configured to snap into place within opening O in machine deck MD to maintain grommet 10 in position and to protect cable C from the sharp edges of opening O.
Although current rubber grommets, such as grommet 10 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, can provide some degree of protection from damage to cables and wires, these designs do not provide a defined direction for the cable, nor do they offer any clamping force to secure the cable in place. As a result, it would be desirable for devices, systems, and methods to hold a cable in position as it passes through a hole in a machine deck in addition to protecting the cable from damage.